Fly-wheel for harvesters.



No. 697,l66. Patented Apr. 8', I902.

' G. L. PHELPS &. J. 0. MORRIS.

FLY WHEEL FOR HABVESTERS.

(Application med Sept. 23. 1901. (N o M o d e l 2 sheets-sheaf I.

In: mmms warns cov PHorc MTHmwAsmNmoN D c Patented Apr. 8, I902. G. L. PHELPS &. J. 0. MORRIS.

FLY WHEEL FOR HABVE STERS.

(Application filed Sept. 23, 1901.) lo Modal.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

iiniirnn Starts Parent Fries.

GEORGE L. PHELPS AND JOHN O. MORRIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS-

SIGNORS TO TIIE'PLANO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Ol CIIICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FLY-WHEEL FOR HARVESTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,166, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed September 23, 1901. Serial No, 76,194:- NO model.)

To all 10. 2.0771, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE L. PHELPS and JOHN O. MORRIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FlyiVheels for Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of flywheels which are adapted for use mainly on harvesters and similar devices-such as are shown in the patents to Stone, Nos. 463,752 and 521,485, dated November 24, 1891, and June 19, 1894, respectively-and which requirea differential friction-clutch which will permit the fly-wheel to overcome its inertia gradually as the machine starts and which will permit the fly-wheel to move ahead independently of the mechanism to which it is connected if said mechanism is compelled to stop so suddenly that the fly-wheel must move on and the further movement of the mechanism by the fly-wheel would cause the mechanism to be broken.

Our present invention is concerned with a new and simple combination of elements to produce this effect, as will be fully set out and claimed in the following specification and as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical parts in all the figures, of which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the flywhcel, showing its mounting and connections to the driving-shaft. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same in section on the line A A of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the fly-wheel and its associated mechanism, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing one face of the friction-clutch disk, together with the dogs by which it is positively clutched to the fiy-wheel when moving in one direction.

As shown, the fly-wheel mechanism is preferably supported by the angle-iron 5, constituting a portion of the framework of the machine and which is parallel to the sickledriving shaft 6, to which the iiy-wheel is con nected. One end of the shaft 6 is journaled in the bearing-bracket 7, which is secured to the cross-piece S, projecting forwardly from and secured at right angles to the piece 5. A pair of supporting-brackets 9 and 10 are secured to the piece 5 and support the bearingsleeve 11 for the fly-wheel shaft 12. The upper ends of the brackets 9 and 10 are longitudinally slotted, as at 13 and 14, and by means of the bolts 15 and 16, which pass through suitable holes in the sleeve 11 and the slots 13 and let in the brackets 9 and 10, the fly-wheel can be adjusted to and from the shaft 6 as much as maybe necessary to take up the wear of the connections between said fly-wheel and shaft. Additional rigidity is given to the supports by means of the trussrod 17, which has its screw-threaded ends extended through the bracket 10 near its upper end and through a suitable recess formed in the lug 18 of the bearing-bracket 7. Setnuts 19, cooperating with the screw-threaded end of the rod 17, are employed to secure the necessary adjustment of the parts to produce the desired degree of rigidity. By this construction of the supporting mechanism we are able to provide an elongated bearingsleeve 11, which provides an ample support for the fly-wheel shaft 12. An oil-cup 20 is preferably provided on the top of the bearing-sleeve, and a set-nut 21, screwed on the end of the shaft 12 and secured in place by the pin 22, serves to adjust the position of the shaft at that end.

The shaft 12 has rigidly secured thereto, as by the pin 23, the sleeve 24, which has preferably formed integrally therewith the sprocketwheel 25, which cooperates with the sprocketchain 26, which extends around the larger sprocket-wheel 27, which is secured. on the outer end of the shaft 6, so that the rapid rotation of said shaft 6 is transmitted at an increased rate to the fly wheel shaft 12, which is thus given an extremely rapid rotation in its bearings while the machine is running.

Secured upon and forming the outer end of the sleeve 2A is a cup-shaped disk 28, which is provided with the flange 29, whose interior surface is beveled at a very slight angle to the axis of the shaft 12. Loosely mounted in the cup-shaped disk 28 is a friction-clutch annulus 31., which is provided at its outer edge with the flange 32, which has its outer surface 33 beveled on the same angle as the surface 30 of the flange 29, so'that the annulus can fit snuglyinto and under pressure become securely held by friction to the disk 28. The

'inner surface 34 of the flange 32 is formed 'with a plurality of ratchet-teeth, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Another flange 35 is formed on the inner edge of the annulus'and has its interior surface 36 inclined at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees to the axis of the shaft 12.

The fly-wheel 37 has its rim and spokes of any desired construction, and its hub, which is' bored to rotate snugly on the shaft 12, has its end adjacent to the disk 28 provided with the inclined bearing-surface 38, which is comp'lementary to and codperates with the bearing-surface 36 on the annulus 31.

Projecting from the annular face 39, just outside of the bearing-surface 38, are two or more studs 40, upon which are mounted the pawls 41, which are in position to have their noses engage with the teeth on the annulus 31. Where a plurality. of these pawls are employed, gravity and the centrifugal force may be relied upon to hold them in engagement with the teeth, although springs might be'employed for this purpose, if considered desirable, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The outer end of the hub of the fly-wheel is preferably provided with the flange 42, forming a pocket surrounding the outer end of the shaft 12 and in which is placed a helically-coiled expanding-spring 43, which is interposed between the hub and the set-nut 44, whichpreferablyhasaflangeformingapocket for the outer end of the spring 43. When the set nut 44 is adjusted to give the desired tension to the spring 43, it is secured from move ment by means of a pin 45, which is passed through the elongated apertures 46 in the setnut and through an aperture (indicated in dotted lines at 47) in the threaded end of the shaft 12.

The operation of the device will be readily apparent. \Vhen the machine starts, the shaft 12, being positively driven by the shaft 6, will immediately be rotated at a rate of speed depending on the speed of the machine. As-it is impossible for the fly-wheel with its great weight to immediately rotate at the speed at which the shaft 12 rotates, the friction between the surfaces 36 and 38, which is relied upon to drive the fly-wheel, is overcomeby the inertia of the fly-wheel, so that the fly-wheel does not start to rotate at the same speed as the shaft 12, but it begins slowly, and the friction of these surfaces tending to carry it forward at the speed of the shaft 12 eventually overcomes its inertia, so that the fly-wheel is moving at the same angular velocity as the shaft 12 and continues to do so while the machine is running. If now for any reason the speed of the machine should tend to slacken, the momentum of the fly-wheel tends to carry it forward at the same rate of speed, and the positive connection between the fiy-wheel and the annulus 31 (the pawls 41 cooperating with the teeth of the surface 34) causes the annulus to be driven by the fly-wheel, and the friction between the surfaces 30 and 33,which is so great as not to be overcome by any ordinary resistance, causes this power from the fly-wheel to be transmitted to the disk 28, thence through the sprocket-wheels 25 and 27 to the driving-shaft 6, so that the movement of the fly-wheel tends to keep up the speed of the machine, and the inertia of the fly-wheel is thus utilized in the customary manner.

In case any sudden obstruction to the movement of the machine or operation of the parts should occur to prevent the momentum of the fly-wheel from breaking some of the connections, the relatively great friction between the surfaces 30 and 33 is employed, and in case of such obstruction the momentum of the flywheel overcomes this resistance, and the fly-wheel and annulus 31 rotate together independently of the disk 28 and shaft 12 until the momentum of the fly-wheel is gradually checked and it comes to rest without doing any damage.

It will be apparent that by means of the mechanism which we employ we are enabled to make one spring serve the purpose of varying the frictional tension upon the two sets of frictional surfaces and that by varying the radial distance and the angles of the two sets of frictional surfaces we are enabled to get the desired degree of friction between the surfaces 36 and 38 and the large degree of friction between the surfaces 30 and 33 all by the employment of a single mechanism for holding the parts in frictional contact.

'While we have shown ourinvention as embodied in the form which we at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications and that we do not desire to be limited in the interpretation of the following claims except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In adevice of the class described,the combination with the fly-wheel, of the shaft-upon which it is mounted to rotate, a differential friction member operatively interposed between said shaft and fiy-wheel, and a single spring cooperating with said, shaft, friction member and fly-wheel to hold them in the desired degree of frictional contact relatively to each other; substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described,the combination with the fly-wheel,and the shaft upon which it is mounted to rotate, of a diiferential friction member operatively interposed between said shaft and fly-wheel, asingle spring cooperating with said shaft, friction member and fiy-wheel, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring to obtain the desired IIO degree of friction between said shaft and member, and between said member and fly-wheel; substantially as described.

In a device of the class described,the combination with the fly-wheel, of a shaft upon which it is mounted to rotate, a differential friction member operatively interposed between said shaft and fiy-wheel, positive oneway clutch mechanism between said fly-wheel and friction member, and a single spring cooperating with said shaft, friction member and fly-wheel to hold them with the desired degree of frictional contact relative to each other; substantially as described.

a. In a device of the class described,the combination with the fly-wheel, of a shaft upon which it is mounted to rotate, a differential friction member operatively interposed between said shaft and fly-wheel, positive oneway clutch mechanism between said fly-wheel and friction member, a single spring codperating with said shaft, friction member and flywheel, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring to obtain the desired degree of friction between said shaft and friction member, and between said friction member and fly-wheel; substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described,the combination with the fly-wheel, of a shaft upon which it is mounted to rotate, a differential friction member operatively interposed between said shaft and fly-wheel, and a single means for securing the desired degree of frictional contact between said shaft and friction member, and between said friction member and fly-wheel substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described,the combination with the fly-wheel, of ashaft upon which it is mounted to rotate, a difierential friction member operatively interposed between said shaft and fly-wheel, positive oneway clutch mechanism between said fly-wheel and frictionmember, and a single means for securing the desired degree of frictional contact between said shaft and friction member, and between said friction member and flywheel; substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described,the combination of the elongated bearing-sleeve,with the shaft mounted to rotate therein and having a friction-clutch surface thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a fly-wheel mounted to rotate relative to said shaft and having a frictionclutch surface thereon, a frictionclutch member interposed between said shaft and said fly-wheel and having two frictionclutch surfaces complementary to and coop-.

erating with the friction-clutch surfaces on the shaft and wheel, and means for holding said surfaces with the desired degree of frictional contact; substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described,the combination of the elongated bearing-sleeve,with the shaft mounted to rotate therein and having a friction-clutch surface thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a fly-wheel mounted to rotate relatively to said shaft and having a friction-clutch surface thereon, a frictionclutch member interposed between said shaft and said fiy-wheel and having two frictionelutch surfaces complementary to and cooperating with the friction-clutch surfaces on the shaft and wheel, and means for holding said surfaces with the desired degree of frictional contact, consisting of 'a spring interposed between said shaft and wheel; substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described,the combin ation of the elongated bearing-sleeve,with

the shaft mounted to rotate therein and having a friction-clutch surface thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a flywheel mounted to rotate relatively to said shaft and having a friction-clutch surface thereon, a frictionclutch member interposed between said shaft and said fly-wheel and having two frictionclutch surfaces complementary to and cooperating with the friction-clutch surfaces on the shaft and wheel, a springfor holding said surfaces in contact, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring to obtain the desired degree of friction between said shaft and friction -clutch member, and between said friction-clutch member and fly-wheel; substantially as described.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of the elongated bearing-sleeve, with the shaft mounted to rotate therein having a friction-clutch surface thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a fly-wheel mounted to rotate on said shaft and having a frictionclutch surface thereon,a friction-clutch member interposed between said shaft and said fly-wheel and having two friction-clutch surfaces complementary to and cooperatin g with the friction-clutch surfaces on the shaft and fly-wheel,positive one-way clutch mechanism between said fiy-wheel and friction-clutch member, and means for holding said frictionclutch surfaces in. contact; substantially as described.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of the elongated bearing-sleeve, with the shaft mounted to rotate therein and having a friction clutch surface thereon, means for rotating said shaft, a fly-wheel mounted to rotate on said shaft and having a friction -clutch surface thereon, a frictionclutch memberinterposed between said shaft and said fiy-wheel and having two frictionclutch surfaces complementary to and cooperating with the friction-clutch surfaces on the shaft and wheel, positive one-way clutch mechanism between said fly-wheel and fric-.

tion-clutch member, a spring for holding said friction-clutch surfaces in contact, and means for adjusting said spring to obtain the desired degree of frictional contact between said shaft and friction-clutch member, and between said friction-clutch member and flywheel; substantially as described.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with the cup-shaped disk28having the annular bearing-surface 30 on its inner periphery, of the annulus 31 having the bearing-surface 33 on its periphery cooperating with the bearing-surface 30 and the additional annular bearing-surface 36 thereon, the fiy-wheel having the annular bearingsurface 38 thereon complementary to and 00- operating with the bearing-surface 36, supports for said'disk, annulus and fly-wheel, and means for holding them in frictional contact with each other; substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with the cup-shaped disk 28 having the annular bearing-surface 30 on its inner periphery, of the annulus 31 having the bearing-surface 33 on its periphery, cooperating with the bearing-surface 30, and the additional annular bearing-surface 36 thereon, the fiy- Wheel having the annular bearingsurface 38 thereon complementary to and cooperating with the bearing-surface 36, supports for said disk, annulus and fiy-Wheel,

and a spring for holding them in frictional contact; substantially as and for the purpose described.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination with the cup-shaped disk 28 having the annular bearing-surface 30 on its inner periphery, of the annulus 31 having the bearing-surface 33 on its periphery cooperat GEORGE L. PHELPS. JOHN O. MORRIS.

Witnesses:

A. A. MURRAY, P. E. lVILsoN. 

